Fuel-distilling apparatus



Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

. e, 1,614,028 PATE-NT OFFICE.

FRANK E. HOBSON, OF BELLINGHAM, WASHNGTON.

Application led November 26, 1923. Serial No. 676,953.

Myinvention relates to improvements in fuel distillingapparatus andoneof the objects of my improvements is to providea retort in which thedestructive distillation of vegetable matter can be conducted and saidmaterial caused to pass through said retort under positive controlwhether said vegetable matter be sawdust or other comminuted wood waste,comminuted coal both coking and non-Coking, slack coal, also comminuted`lignite, peat, oil shale and the like; another object' of myimprovements isl to force said material through the retort withoutcausing dust to pass therefrom `into the gas-escape conduits; anotherobject of my improve:

ments is -to confine said material within an annular chamber 1 n saidretort and force .the movementof said material through said ing of themeans used to produce'sa-id interior movements to also aid in passingheat through the mass of material; another object of my improvements isto provide for the easy escape of gas as soon as released from saidmaterial and the saving of the entirequantity of said gas; anotherobject of my improvements is to provide 'for the separate withdrawal ofgas liberated during the drying and initial heating of said material andthe gas liberated during the subsequent stages ot' distillation; anotherobject of my` improvements is to prevent combustion within the .retortwith its accompanying loss of vfuel and degrading of the released gases;another object of my improvements 1s to provide an economical means ofconverting vegetable matter of low value into valuable products yincluding high-grade fuel; and afurther object vof my improvements is toprovide distillation apparatus, for the purposes mentioned, simple andnot expensive 1n desigmveasy to control, maintain and oper-f ate. e

I attain these objects with the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying sheet drawings, which forms a part of this speelficationand in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of my retortin section on amedial, vertical plane, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of F ig. 1 onthe line 2-2.

Similar indices re=fer to similar parts. throughout. Certain parts arebroken away for lack of space for the illustration or'to show otherparts hidden thereby.

More particularly: The inner shell 3 of the retort is cylindrical with ahopper-form bottom a3. Retort cylinder 3 has three enlargements near itsupper end. The first of these from below is at 4, the second is at 6 andthe third is the hopper-form top 8. Annular enlargement 4 is entered bythe cylindrical outlet of enlargement 6, said outlet being of samedia-meter as the main part of shell 3 ld is separate therefrom at itslower en to permit communication between the main body of the retort andsaid enlargement 4. Outlet 7 of hopper 8 is ofthe same diameter as themain body of 3 and enters enlargementtleaving space below its lower endfor communication between the main body of the retort and said chamber6. Said shell 3 and outlets 5 and 7 are in line andconstitute portionsofthe shell of said retort. Material chute 9 leads from a source ofmaterial supply, not shown, to lhopper 8. The bottom of retort 3 hasflange 10 bearing on retort foundation 11. An outer wall 12 iscylindrical and concentric with retort shell 3, which it envelops withannular chamber a between. Wall 12 makes a. closure. of chamber al?below by joining anae 10, and it is closed above by joining shell V3beneath enlargement 4. An annular enlargement 13 of wall 12 isentered bypi e 15 from furnace 14 and serves to distr' utethe hot gases ofcombustion from said furnace around shell 3 that they may more freelyenter chamber a. Damper 16 inpipe 15 controls the rate of flow of saidhot gases into chamber an. Saidhot gases find an exit fromv the top ofchamber a12 through smoke pipe 17 leading to a stack not shown. Retortwall 12 is encased in n'onconducting outer wall 18. A helical baiile 19encircles shell 3 and compels gases from furnace 14 to encircle shell 3several times before reaching outlet 17. Gas

ipeA 20 constitutes an outlet from chamber 4L1)nt0 pipe 21 `which latteralso is an outlet for Wan per 3. Gas pi ei23 is connected by a sli gointat w23 Wit the upper end-et gas co lector member a, and said slip jointis sealed with gland 34. Pipe23 leads through an exhauster to acondensernot shown. A. louvered gas collector is suspended within retort 3centrally and is composed of three sets of conical rings concentric witha common axis. 'l'he members of the lower set 24 of these conical ringsmay be more /Widely spaced than the others and each by preference has acylindrical upper exten* sion a. The middle set 25 of said conical ringsmay be most closely spaced and the ,upper ring of this-rsetnisclosed ontop at a. The upper set 26 of said conical rings may be more widelyspaced than said middle set and the upper ring thereof is closed at L26around said pipe slip joint (1,23. Each of said three sets of conicalrings is Jfastened to a single set of three vertical bars 27 whichprotrude beyond'both ends or" said sets ot rings thus united and theirupper ends are fastened to ring 28. To ring 23 are fastened cables 29which are fastened at the same place on lever 30 fulcrumed in pivot 3l..The lower limits of the movement otsaid lever 30 around pivot 3l arecontrolled b v stop screw aan engaged in beam ha. Pivot 3l is mounted inan arm ot standard 40. A; flaring pipe 33 leads trom beneath the lowerend of said louvered `dasv collector and passes through shells 3 and 12and wall 1S to an exhauster and from thence to a condenser not shown.Pipe 33 is fastened to shell 3 by flanged ring (L33. 0n the upper end ofpipe 33 is mounted slidewav ringa 32 on which the group of'tliree bars2T slide and for which it provides a guide. stated, 34 is a gland forthe slip joint on the inner end of 2gras pipe 23. A pluralityv ot heavychains 35 depend from hand 3G and hang` vertically at spaced distancesin the center of annular chamber L3 between shell 3 and the louvercd gascollector. Said chains reach nearly to the bottom ot shell 3. Ring 36 issupported by three cables Il? fastened thereto and'connected to a clevispivoted to lever 38. liever 33 is pivoted at 39 to the upper l,end ofstandard 40. Stand ard 40 is Jfastened to the top ot post 41, which isfastened on and supported by hopper 8. ,Pipe 23 is clamped to post 4l atai. liever 38 is free to turn on pivot 3.() downward till stopped bystop screw .38 which is engaged in beam 53B. ln this wav the lower limitof said lever movement is adjustable. Pulley 42 is mounted i'orrevolution on shalt 43 which is fastened in bracket 44. ln said pulleyis crank pin fr42 on which liar 45 is mounted. (lahle 4G connects withone end-of bar 45 at u. and is reeved over lead block 47 which ismounted for revolution on shai't n and the latl' i5 fastened in bracket48. The other Leiaeae end of cable 46 is connected to lever 30. Leadpulleyv 49 is mounted for revolution on shal't a4 which is fastened inbracket 50. @ne end ot' cable 5l' is fastened to the other end of bar 45at 645 and is reeved over pulleys 49 andA 52 and then vhas its other endfastened t0 lever 38. Cables 46 and 51 are preferably not taut butprovided with slack as shown near lever 30. rlhis cable slack appears atlever 30 because this lever is bearing on stop e30. 1When lever 38 isbearing' on stop a38 said cable is taut at lever 30 and cable 5l isslack at lever 38.

-'l`he purpose ot this will be explained.

mounted for revolution on a bearing ina bracket also fastened to walll1.' @n the shalt mounting sprocket Wheel 54 is fastened. power pulley55 driven. by belt L55 from a source ol power not shown. A gang otendless chains 57 is mounted on sprocket wheels 54 and 'lhese chains areadapte'd to pass 'overthe bottom of hopper a3 and dran' the contentsthereof o'ut on to chute 58. The rate at which the material is removedby said'conveyor chains will depend on the size and number of the chainsused and their rate of movement. Chute 58 conducts the material to areceptacle not shown.

When pulley42 is driven crank L42 causes bar 45 to more forth and backlongitudinallv-through parallel positions. This causes cables 46 and 5lto reciprocate longitudinall'v and levers 30 and 38 are caused to os,-cillate therebyon their pivots. One lever moves upward as the otherlever moves downward. Also, these movements are notl simultaneousbecause sufiicient slack is allowed in said cables to cause a period otpause following each downward movement during which lever 30 bears onstop a,3o and lever 33 bears on stop a. By preterenee the length ot thispause is equal to thel eriod ot movement in order-that gas colector 24.,25. 26. which is raised by lever 30 and falls by its own weight, willremain stationary while chains 35 move; and also in order that saidchains, which are raised by lever 38 and iall by their own weight, willremain stationary while the gas col lector moves. By preference, inpractice l move the gas collector a short distance. onlyv aboutone-haltl inch, and the chains about Tour inches. Because of theratchet-like contour of the gas collector. with the inclined side of itsteeth upwardfwhen it moves Adownward most of the material in chamber 72"moves downward with it, but its upward movement stirs and tumbles thematerial more than 1t carries it upward. Because of the smoothl contourof the links of chains 35 and their weight, their slow movements cause astirring, loosening and tumbling of the materialavith little `upward andmore downward movement of the same.. This 4aids in the escape of gasfrom the material into the gas collector, prevents the formation ofnodules of incrustations and moves the material downward as rapidly andonly as rapidly as it is removed, thus avoiding unduly packing thematerial in the bottom of the retort.

Because of the'positive downward movement of all the material in chamber3 the rate of removal of the carbon residue by conveyor 57 controls themovement of the material through the retort. ln practice, sawdust, whichheretofore has presented insuperable ditliculties indestructive-distillation retorts, is treated without diiiiculty in myapparatus .and changed from fuel of low value to valuable byproductsand-high-grade fuel. Because of the described slow, recurrent 'andmoderafte,moveinents within the material impelled in my apparatus noconsiderable quantity of dust enters the gas conduits. This is a seriousdifficulty in other retorts but, in practice, I have had no trouble fromit. For these reasons my apparatus is well adapted forcontinuousoperation on a commercial scale even when distilling sawdust and similarwood waste.

As the material moves downward in chamber b3 under the recurrent-urgingsof chains and gas collector it packs more closely and on reaching hoppera3 it is well able to seal the openings, through which conveyor 57operates against the entry of air. vBy the time the material reaches thelowest ring of the gasv collector it is relieved of its volatile contentthe last ot' which can enter the collector at this point. In the upper`part of chamber b3 the material is more loosely associated. For thisreason external gas eollectors 4 and 6 yare used in connection with theinterior gas collector in order to afford an easier escape for the gasliberated here into these collectors than the 'path through the materialabove and out ot hopper S Where it would be lost. The most volatile gasrecovered enters the louvered collector between wider-separated rings2G, and also enters external collectors 4 and (l. T he partition L25separates the chamber in the louvered gas collector into a lower andnpper part.' 'Thus this most volatile lgas is carried off in conduits 21and 23. Fxcepting to this extent, no attempt is madel within the retortto separate the gaseous emanations or distilled by-products trom thematerial into grades. 'l`he greater part ot' th'e gas liberated entersthe gas collector between middle rings 25. At this part ot the retorttheheat is sullicient to begin the'carbonzation of Wood products and alsoraise the temperature of peat, slack coal, and the like, to temperatureswhich liberate'their volatile content rapidly. Thus by the time thematerial has reachedA the upper ring 24 it is free of the bulk of itsvolatile content and in danger of being made too hotv for the remainingvolatile content by the furnace ,gases` which l lirst` contact with theretort here. For this reason l prefer to space rings 24 more widely thanthe others. Then to insure against the entry ot' solid material withinthe gas collector chamber, collars w24 are added to the morewidely-spaced rings 24. All gas entering the collector below partition@25 is, without difficulty, drawn oil through pipe 33. To do this, inpractice,

an exhauster is not always used, although a low vacuum is found useful.

ln practice, l have found my retort with reciprocating chains andlouvered gas collector cllective in distilling wood waste, peat,lignite, and slack from both anthracite and bituminous coals whethercoking or noncoking. p Usually the solid residue from these materials isof more fuel 'value than was the whole material betere passing throughthe retort; and the byproducts recovered are usually of much greatervalue than the solids. l

Having thus disclosed myinvention, what l claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is-,-

l. ln a destructive-distillation retort in combinatioma vertical retortshell, means adapted to heat said retort shell, a louvered.

gas collector flexibly suspended centrally in in said retort shell,means adapted to shift said gas collector vertically whereby material inthe retort chamber between said gas collector and said retort shell iscaused to move downward in intermittent stages during distillation bythe vertical shitting of said gas collector and the volatile lcontentot' said material is liberated by heat from said heated retort shell andpasses into said gas collector, and draw-oli' means for the volatiles in.said gas collector.

2. In a destructive-distillation retort in combination. a verticalretort shell, means adapted to heat said retort shell. a louvered gascollector flexibly suspended lvertically and centrally in said retortshell, means for shitting said gas collector vertically, means adaptedto conduct material for distillation into the top ot the chamber betweensaid' gas` collector and said retort shell, means adapted to withdrawSaid material-continuously from the bottom of said retort. shell, andmeans adapted to withdraw gas as it collects in said gas collector. thematerial ted in at the top being caused to more downward through saidretort between said retort shell and said gas collector by said shiftingmovement thereof in imermitteut stages during distillation is heated asitmoves, volatile 'collector and said retort shell, means adapt- :ed toshift said chains vertically in said chamber, and draw-ott' means forthe gas from said `gas collector as it accumulates therein, the

' material in said retort chamber being caused to move downward thereinduring distilla-v tion by said shifting chains, the volatile contentthereof being liberated by heat from said shell passes into said gascollector from which itis removed through the draw-oil 4. In adestructi've-distillation retort in combination, a verticalretort-shell, means adapted to heat said shell, a vertically shiftablelouvered gas collector .flexibly suspendw ed centrally and vertically insaid shell, a plurality of chains suspended vertically at spaceddistances in said retort between said gas collector and said shell,means adapted to elevate said chains and said gas vcollector'alternately vertically, draw-oli' means for the gas from said gascollector as it accumulates therein, means adapted to conduct materialadapted for distillation into the top of the chamber between said retortshell and said gas collector,"and means adapted to Withdraw saidmaterial continuously from the bottom of said chamber, the said materialheilig caused to niove downward through said chamber during distillationby the shifting movements of said chains and said gas collector, thegaseous emanations liberated therefrom by said heat from 'said retortshell passing into said gas collector and being withdrawn therefrom andthe carbonized material being continuously withdrawn "from .the lowerpart of said retort.

5. in a destructive-distillation retort in combination, a verticalretort shell, means adapted to heat said retort shell, a louvered grascollector adapted for vertical shifting movement consisting ofsuperposed and spaced .conical rings vertically joined together andflexibly suspended centrally in guides in said retort, a plurality ofspaced chains suspended vertically in, the retort chamber between saidretort shell and louvcred gas collector, means adapted to shiftvertically said gas collector and said chains aerienne in said -retortchamber, means adapted to conduct material into thetop of said retortchamber and Withdraw it from the bottom thereof continuously, and meansto` conduct* gas 4froin said gas collector as it accumulates therein,the material, forced through said re` suspended vertically in theannular chamber between said louvered gas collector and said retortshell, mea-ns adapted tol vertically shift said louvered gas collectorand said chains, means adapted to conduct material into the top of saidretort chamber and Withdraw it from the bottom thereof continuouslyv,`and means to conduct gas from said gas collectors as it accumulatestherein, the material While being passed through said retort, beingdistilled thereimthe gaseous emanation therefrom withdrawn` from theretort and the residue solids Withdrawn from the retort.

7. Destructive distillation apparatus comprising an annular retortchamber between a stationary cylindrical vertical Wall and 'an innerconcentric louvered gascolleetor flexibly suspended and Averticallyshiftable in vertical guides, means to conduct material suitable fordistillation into the top of said chamber, means to withdrawcontinuously 'the solid residue from the bott/om of said chamber', meansto vertically shift said suspended gas collector, means to conduct gasfrom said gas collector during shifting movements and means to heat saidstationary wall. i

tl. ln a destructivedistillation retort in combination, a retort shell,a louvered gas collector suspended centrally and vertically mounted forvertical movements in said she-ll, a plurality ot' spaced chainssuspended vertically in the retort chamber between YSaid `gas collectorand said shell, means adapted to cause said gas collector and saidchains to shift vertically alternately with a period of pause after acycle of shifting movement of each, and means adapted to separately varythe length of said shifting movements and the length ofsaid periods ofpause.

FRANK E. HBSON.

